Despite poor shooting, Sixers in command of series with Bulls

Posted by
Inside Hoops

May
7

Flash ahead to this week where the Sixers have surprisingly built a 3-1 series lead over the top-seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. To build that lead the Sixers won back-to-back games where they shot 39.2 percent or lower. Since 1986, there have been just 10 other teams to win two playoff games when shooting 39.2 percent or worse.

In Game 3, the Sixers beat the Bulls by five points while shooting 34.2 percent from the field. Since 1986, only seven other teams have won playoff games while shooting worse. Six of those teams eventually advanced to the conference finals. Five of them went to the NBA Finals.

“We get tight at home sometimes and we want to make every shot,” said Andre Iguodala, who has made just six of the 30 shots he has attempted outside of the paint in the series. “We appreciate the support we get from our fans, but sometimes we want to do so well that we get tight, so we have to get back to the main message, which is to keep playing and keep shooting.”